Sunken City in San Pedro, CA

Looking for an adventure this weekend? Well, to say Sunken City is an awesome place full of wonderment and adventure is an understatement. When Renee Rogers blogger and photographer for Hanger Shortage brought up the idea of shooting me in her 16th Colony Spring 2015 collection Enigma, I was beyond thrilled. We made magic a few months earlier shooting her designs in the Joshua Tree National Park, and when brainstorming shoot locations, I immediately thought of the colorful Salvation Mountain located in Southern California's lower desert near the Salton Sea. Unfortunately, the location was just a wee bit too far to get out to on the time schedule we were working with, so Renee did some research and stumbled upon the graffiti-filled haven of Sunken City in San Pedro.
From the street you don't see much of Sunken City, but as you make you're way around the wrought iron gate that surrounds the premises, 6-acres of a concrete graffiti slab graveyard unfolds before your eyes. This place is a photographer's, tagger's and adventurer's playground. It used to be lined with cliff side homes, but due to a landslide in 1929, all but 2 houses were able to be moved in time. Okay, so Sunken City isn't exactly open to the public due to the liability associated with exploring the area; there have been numerous injuries, accidental falls and suicides; hence the fortress of a fence that surrounds the area.
San Pedro residents have been pushing to have the area re-opened to the public, and a proposal has been submitted for daylight visiting hours. Currently, along with the fence, "No Trespassing" signs are posted. I am not condoning in any way breaking of the law, however I did see quite a few people including kids as well as dogs grazing Sunken City. If you're itching to be a rebel and want to see this wonder for yourself at your own discretion, you can park at Point Fermin Park located next to Sunken City; then walk towards Sunken City to the left. There will be a concrete wall (that comes up to about the waist area) that you would have to hop over. Walk towards the ocean and you will see the end of the iron fence. Underneath the fence is a hole (or at least there was when I was there), go through the hole and you'll get to the other side. When you walk about a quarter of a mile on the dirt, you'll reach the concrete slabs.  Happy Exploring!